Patricia Keenan Porta, cherished her family
Patricia Keenan Porta, 78, of Lewes passed away Tuesday, July 10, 2018, at her home after a short illness. She was born Sunday, March 17, 1940, in Cleveland, Ohio, daughter of the late James A. and Marjorie (Rooney) Keenan.
Mrs. Porta graduated from St. Francis School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1961 and earned her BSN from Rutgers University in 1978. She enjoyed a career as an occupational health nurse that spanned many years with both AT&T Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. On Nov. 25, 1961, she married the love of her life, Robert Charles Porta, in North Canton, Ohio.
Mrs. Porta loved to travel. She was a skilled knitter, enjoying other needlework as well, an avid reader, and a fan of NPR. Mrs. Porta was a dedicated and active member of St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and a faithful volunteer for Coastal Concerts. Above all, she cherished time spent with her family. Mrs. Porta was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Porta was preceded in death by her brother Terence Keenan and her sister Carolyn Keenan. She is survived by her beloved husband of more than 56 years, Robert C. Porta of Lewes; her children: Kathie Baker (Wesley Baker), Marianne Allen, Meg Porta (Matthew Swayhoover) and Michael Porta (Ginny Paige); her grandchildren, Wendy Baker, Christopher Allen, Stephen Allen, Robert Allen and Elizabeth Allen; her brother, Sean Keenan; and a wide circle of extended family and friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, July 18, at 11 a.m., at St. Jude the Apostle Church, 152 Tulip Drive, Lewes, where friends may visit beginning at 10 a.m. Friends may also call the night prior, Tuesday, July 17, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Mrs. Porta's memory to a charity or nonprofit. An organization that has received Mrs. Porta's longtime support is the Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104, or www.splcenter.org.
